Edina’s Ramona Settergren discusses upgrading her current hearing aids with Dr. Jerry Zhou at the Hearing of America office.

Whether in the office or during a home visit, Dr. Jerry Zhou will work to find the best hearing aid fit for every patient’s personal lifestyle and needs.

Is the volume of your TV set louder than it used to be? Are you guessing to fill in the blanks of words your grandchildren say? Do you sometimes get lost within group conversations?

If “yes” is the answer to any of these, you – along with more than 36 million Americans – might be living with hearing loss. Dr. Jerry Zhou at Hearing of America wants to help.

“They don’t have to compromise with their life,” he says. “They have to live to the fullest. Now the technologies are available for them to enjoy their communications better.”

Having earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Ph.D. Degree in Communication Disorders, from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Jerry – as his patients call him – has an extensive knowledge of every aspect of hearing aids. There are few, if any, others in the Twin Cities with a background like his.

Dr. Jerry strongly believes that the ability to hear helps create connections with people, a very important aspect in life. He not only offers his skills in his Oakdale office, but also in the form of home visits, now rare in today’s medical world – Dr. Jerry says he wants those who may not be as mobile to still benefit from the hearing aids he provides.

With this experience and service, it’s no surprise that his practice has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and received the Lillie Suburban Newspapers 2017 Readers’ Choice Award for the “Best Place for Hearing Exam.”

Dr. Jerry says hearing loss can be gradual over many years, on average taking five to seven years for people to realize what they are missing. Though hearing loss is a natural aspect of the body’s aging process, there can still be public stigma around hearing aids.

“People feel aids are associated with aging,” he says, “so they’re more reluctant to proceed.”

Dr. Jerry works to fix that perception. He says hearing aids are simply for those who don’t want to miss out on life.

Living life to the fullest was one reason Ramona Settergren decided to reach out to a specialist. Whether she was in the locker room after her water aerobics class or with her family, the now seven-year patient of Dr. Jerry says she had missed out on a lot before getting fit for her hearing aids.

“It was obvious that I had a need,” Settergren says. “I would not be able to carry out conversation and be involved.”

That’s when Dr. Jerry helped her find the perfect hearing aids for her needs. When her husband Vince’s hearing started to fade too, he already knew where to go. Now, the couple travels to the office all the way from Edina just to receive the care and expertise Dr. Jerry has to offer.

“I feel that he is more qualified than someone who just sells hearing aids,” she says.

Dr. Jerry works to guide patients through every step of the way at Hearing of America, from audiograms and ear moldings to the selection of brands and styles. At the end of the day, he says he just wants to sustain each patient’s quality of life with a pair of hearing aids that are perfect for them.